Releases

Museum Asks Chicagoans to be Tree Champions this Arbor Day

04/19/2017

Chicago History Museum Partners with the Morton Arboretum for Tree Tagging Initiative

The Chicago History Museum will stand with The Morton Arboretum as a tree champion this Arbor Day through April 28. Staff and volunteers will hang oversized, brightly-colored tags from the trees on its campus that highlight some of the many reasons why trees are important and encourage Chicagoans to act as “tree champions” in their own neighborhoods.

Through this Arbor Day campaign, Chicago History Museum will showcase the importance of trees in our lives and all that they do for our communities, from cleaning the air we breathe to filtering groundwater to help with storm runoff and flooding, to providing leafy green shade that cools our neighborhoods and parks

“Trees add such value to our city and suburbs, improving the quality of our air and water, and giving those in their company a greater sense of physical and emotional well-being,” said Jennifer GoodSmith, vice president of marketing and communications at The Morton Arboretum. “We are proud to partner with these museums to champion trees for all they do for us, our neighborhoods, and our world.”

WHY THIS INITIATIVE IS IMPORTANTChicago and its suburbs are home to more than 157 million trees that make our city beautiful, clean the air we breathe, and keep us cooler in the warm months. But with the stress of living around development, people and buildings, the trees that grow in our cities, our urban forest, need human intervention to survive. By being a steward of trees either on your own property—by watering them, mulching them, and knowing how to take care of them—or volunteering with a tree-focused organization to care for city trees, every Chicagoan can contribute to a greener, healthier world.

ABOUT THE CHICAGO HISTORY MUSEUM

The Chicago History Museum, a major museum and research center for Chicago and American history, is located at 1601 N. Clark Street. The Museum has dedicated more than a century to celebrating and sharing Chicago’s stories through dynamic exhibitions, tours, publications, special events and programming. The Museum collects and preserves millions of artifacts, documents and images to help audiences connect to the city and its history. The Chicago History Museum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Chicago Park District on behalf of the people of Chicago. The Chicago History Museum is a 2016 winner of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the highest award given to these institutions for their community engagement and having an impact on the lives of individuals, families, and communities.